A key responsibility of the Fresno Unified school board – hiring the district’s superintendent – will likely be one of the first big decisions on the docket for whoever wins the three trustee seats up for grabs this November.
That task comes after Bob Nelson, Fresno Unified’s superintendent of almost seven years, announced in January that he was stepping down to take a tenure-track job at Fresno State.
The search for his replacement raised questions about whether to hire from within the district or look to an outsider – questions that brought the current school board under fire and that the post-election board will have to finally answer.
The winning candidate will also inherit long-standing struggles in California’s third-largest district, including years of failing test scores on state reading and math assessments and balancing the district’s $2 billion budget amid fluctuating funding from the state.
And three years into their potential term, the 4,000-member Fresno Teachers Association’s hard-won contract will expire – coming on the heels of a tense bargaining cycle in 2023 that culminated in a costly deal and a planned teacher strike that only was averted by the last-minute agreement.
What does a Fresno Unified trustee do?
There are seven trustees on the Fresno Unified School Board representing distinct trustee areas.
Trustees’ responsibilities, according to board bylaws, include hiring (and firing) the district’s top official, the superintendent.
The trustees oversee the development and adoption of district policies on anything from graduation requirements to campus safety procedures, as well as monitor the effectiveness of those policies.
They’re tasked with providing safe facilities for students and staff.
Trustees vote on contracts negotiated with the district’s eight bargaining units, the largest of which is the Fresno Teachers Association.
The board of trustees also sets budget priorities and gives the final stamp of approval to the district’s annual budget, which in recent years has topped $2 billion.
Who’s on the ballot?
This year, three incumbents are facing challenges – two of whom are backed by the powerful teachers’ union, even after a favorable deal to avoid a strike was made. To jump to each race, click on the buttons below.
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